Acne and rosacea affect millions and millions of people around the world. But when you have one of these common skin conditions, you might feel isolated and self-conscious. You’re not sure where those red spots on your nose and cheeks came from, but you’re keen for them to go away.
Figuring out whether you have acne vs rosacea is the first step in finding a solution that works for you. So, let's explore how to tell whether you have acne or rosacea.
Spoiler alert: Dermapen Treatments can improve the appearance of both acne and rosacea.
What’s Rosacea?
Rosacea (pronounced roe-ZAY-she-uh) is an inflammatory skin disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It’s characterised by flushing, redness, and dry lesions around the centre of the face. There’s no known cure for rosacea.
It’s also unknown what causes rosacea, but certain environmental factors often trigger it. These include spicy food, hot drinks, red wine, stress, temperature changes and exercise.
There are 4 types of rosacea, but you could have symptoms from more than 1 type at a time. They are:
Erythematotelangiectatic: flushing, erythema, and visible blood vessels
Papulopustular: papules and pustules
Phymatous: thickening of skin, enlarged pores, and an uneven surface, usually on the nose
Ocular: watery, bloodshot eyes with a burning, stinging sensation
Get more details about rosacea.
What’s Acne?
Acne occurs when a build-up of dead skin cells and oil blocks pores. Like rosacea, acne also results in swollen red lumps that can be painful. Therefore, rosacea could be misdiagnosed as acne.
You're most likely to get acne where oil glands are abundant. That includes near your mouth, chin, forehead, chest, upper back, and shoulders.
Acne can cause deep pitted scars and hyperpigmentation that lasts even after the acne is cleared up. There are 2 main types of acne:
Non-inflammatory: blackheads and whiteheads
Inflammatory: papules, pustules, nodules and cysts
Get more information about acne.
Why Rosacea Gets Misdiagnosed for Acne
If you’ve got red spots on your nose and cheeks, your first thought might be that you have acne. The confusion between rosacea and acne comes from the similarities of their symptoms. Both inflammatory skin conditions cause redness, bumps, and pustules on the face.
So, Do I Have Rosacea or Acne?
There ARE differences between the 2 skin conditions that can help you identify which is affecting your skin. Consulting an Authorised Treatment Provider can help you pinpoint what skin concern to address (but we’ll get to that in a minute). Let’s first look at a few ways you can identify if you have rosacea or acne.
Internal vs External Triggers
Acne is commonly triggered by hormonal changes, such as puberty, pregnancy, taking the pill or menopause. Rosacea flare-ups, on the other hand, is commonly triggered by environmental factors.
Different Symptoms
If you’re wondering, why is my acne so red? You could have rosacea. The redness with acne is localised to the blemishes. Rosacea symptoms include a persistent flush across the middle of the face with visible blood vessels. Blackheads, whiteheads and deep painful cysts are symptoms of acne.
Skin Sensitivity
One way to tell if you have rosacea is whether your skin is particularly sensitive. That means that your skin reacts badly to products or sun exposure.
Is it persistent?
Rosacea is a persistent skin condition (unfortunately, there’s no cure) that generally starts around 30. Acne can affect anyone at any age and isn’t persistent.
Dermapen Treatments for Acne and Rosacea
Whether you have acne or rosacea, an Authorised Treatment Provider can create a plan to get you back in control of your inflamed skin.
Dermapen Treatments are effective for active acne and rosacea. Microneedling with the Dermapen 4™ together with speciality Dp Dermaceuticals products can also improve the appearance of acne scars and hyperpigmentation. One of the many Dermapen Treatment benefits is being able to simultaneously tackle a range of skin concerns.
Finding the Right Skincare
To get “wow, I almost didn’t recognise you” results, it's essential to build resilience in your skin with the exact right blend of actives, hydration, botanicals, vitamins, antioxidants, SPF and more. If that sounds like you'd need a science degree to figure out, we've got good news. We've done the hard work for you, which is sweet relief after you've spent years looking for products that are effective but won't cause a flare-up.
Now that you know whether you have acne or rosacea, you can:
If you are not sure still, book an appointment with one of our Authorised Treatment Providers for a skin assessment. They are trained to help you with any skin concern.
Restore Balance to Your Reactive Skin
We know flare-ups caused by acne or rosacea aren’t fun. Bumpy, red skin is hard to cover up and can make you feel self-conscious. By staying on top of your skincare, avoiding triggers, and seeking the help of an Authorised Treatment Provider, you’re on the way to getting your skin back under control. Give your skin what it needs to stay balanced, so you can get back to enjoying life.
If you are a professional and wish to learn how to become a DermapenWorld Authorised Treatment Provider, click here.
